OTTAWA (Reuters) -
Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette stunned the nation this morning when he
announced that all international flights into and out of Canada have been suspended indefinitely.

In a press conference this morning, Collenette stated that "due to the war in Iraq, the rise of terrorism, and compounded
by the fact that Air Canada is in financial trouble led to the decision. We believe
that this is the best decision for air travellers." When asked when the suspension
would be lifted, he said "... optimistically, we are looking at June."

When Air Canada executives met with Collenette last week, they hinted that the grounding of international flights would actually be beneficial to the troubled airline, as less flights meant that less money would be lost.

The war in Iraq has had a devastating impact on the Canadian travel industry. It was suggested that the grounding of all international flights would be the final straw, leading to the complete disintegration of the national travel industry.

If Canadian travellers wish to travel outside the country, they will be forced to
drive across the border to the United States to then fly to their destination.
However, domestic flights will not be affected.

Travellers are asked to speak to their travel agents immediately. More details will come later today.